This is a rather elegant dress Longines Quartz Watch and stamped “Longines 150” on the back of the case. This model produced in 1982 the year of the 150th centenary of the Company which originated in 1832 and in homage to their earlier range of mechanical watches of the 1940’s and 1950’s. It features the L976-2 13 jewel quartz movement, one of the 970 caliber series, which were of true in-house manufacture.
Longines Quartz 150 years Centenary Watch
It is one of the thinnest at only 1.95mm depth and I understand the philosophy follows on from their earlier 1979 “gold feather” 1.98mm quartz movement which Longines initially manufactured in partnership with Ebauche ETA/ETA.
It is as I have already noticed an exceptionally accurate and high quality Quartz and quite rare I understand to find one that’s frankly as good as this today early 30 years later.
L976.2 Longines movement (1.95mm depth)
It appears to have a Lavet-type motor and is powered by a 1.55v battery. Not tested it but looks as if it may be 9ct gold plated on stainless steel case body and is fitted with a high quality Hirsch genuine Lizard strap with the gold plated Longines Logo engraved buckle.
The dial is gold colored with subtle vertical strips in the centre section with black painted Roman numerals and a square inset second sub-dial @6. Hour, minute and second hands are black steel. Main dial has an outer minute track and the seconds sub-dial has seconds track with numerals at 10 second numerals.
1.95mm movement & slim case
One of the nicest early Longines Quartz watches I’ve had to date, which I picked up recently at an auction for a very reasonable price indeed. It will sit nicely in my Longines collection which is growing with the odd model every month or so. With a few celebrations coming up soon and dinners out a few times this one will definitely be a front runner as my dress watch on these occasions. I love it
Perfect dress watch - Longines
Any downsides to this watch? Well none as it happens apart from quite a bit of dust and rubbish inside the dial, which I have yet to clean, the watch is in pretty much perfect condition, plating excellent, no bad marks or scratches, just general wear over the last 30 years. The watch obviously has been worn quite a bit as the back is wonderfully smooth stainless steel, but fortunately the previous owner obviously had great respect for his little Longines and looked after it very well indeed.
As indeed will I. . . .
